Drifting apart, PGMA and FVR

Latest reports have it that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former president Fidel V. Ramos are drifting apart as political ally. During their "secret" meeting in Makati in the presence of Speaker Jose de Venecia sometime ago, FVR reportedly tried to convince PGMA to cut short her term upon the inception of the parliamentary form of government by the middle of 2007. But the President would want to finish her term until 2010.

This new twist in the thinking of PGMA muddles the already cloudy political climate. By refusing to shorten her term, she is in effect putting a bar to the early implementation of the new form of government, assuming Congress as a constituent assembly approves it next year. This is actually a modification of her publicly announced stand that she is all-out for a shift in government from presidential to parliamentary. It is clear now that her advocacy of the parliamentary system is conditioned by non-impairment of her six-year term. But if she believes, as she declared in her SONA last May, that there is an urgent need to institute a change in our system of governance, then such change should be brought about even if it cuts short her term.

For such disagreement FVR, who stood in defense of PGMA during that fateful Friday in July, appears to have a change of heart, which explains why in a televised interview after that Makati meeting he said something about the need for the President to listen to her conscience. Subsequent remarks on the subject by the former president have been interpreted as anti-GMA. In fact, there have been talks that FVR is behind the alleged coup d'etat plot against the administration. This has been vehemently denied, of course, but the talks persisted, and the other day FVR told media that a well-funded demolition job is being direct against him.

This new development in the political scene is weakening further the already weakened political infrastructure of the country. The falling apart between the two major players in Philippine politics plus the new talks of power grab has added weight to the continuing destabilization campaign of the opposition. How long can the President hold on to Malacañang? How long can the country endure the unending skirmishes of politicians? Already the ship of state is tilting heavily because of the buffeting of the ill winds of an unstable economy. Jobs are hard to come by, while those who have jobs have nothing but poverty baskets to bring home owing to high prices of basic goods. Is it any wonder that more than 2,000 Filipinos are fleeing the country every day?

Some quarters blame the opposition for their no-holds-barred demolition initiatives. Others put the administration to task for its litany of questionable actuations before, during, and after the 2004 elections. After the Hello Garci scandal, which like a dead albatross is hanging on GMA's neck, came a series of ill smelling exposes (the Northrail deal, the Venable contract, and lately the alleged P800 million fertilizer mess) which are beginning to erode the President's credibility even among her support groups.

And former president Ramos is apparently one of those whose faith in the capacity of PGMA to effectively govern the country is getting tarnished. This could be the reason why FVR came up with the abbreviated formula for PGMA's presidency using the Cha-cha mechanism. It's really a pragmatic plan and a rational one at that. For one thing, it would dampen the ceaseless call of the opposition for a change of leadership. For another, it would put an end to the confused socio-political atmosphere, facilitate stability, and revive investors' confidence. More important, the Filipinos for once would be of one heart in their struggle for a strong and prosperous nationhood.

Unfortunately, the President's inner circle must have felt threatened by the Ramos formula, thus the lampoon against the latter including his alleged involvement in the reported plot to unseat the President. It is possible PGMA has nothing to do with the whole thing, but the suspicion is strong that she has personal knowledge of it. To clear his name, Ramos is asking a categorical statement from President Arroyo herself on his non-involvement in the plot. Will PGMA oblige him?

Losing the support of FVR would be disastrous for PGMA. She is already besieged by enemies. To make an enemy of one who has been a staunch supporter of hers could be the last straw in the survival of her presidency.